Thailand Sends First Wave Of Humanitarian Aid To Myanmar

Badminton UNICEF/Minzayar Oo/Kamp in northern Myanmar/PHOTO via news.un.org

JAKARTA - Thailand has sent the first batch of humanitarian aid to Myanmar led by the military "to meet the needs of the displaced people.

The handover of humanitarian aid is a bilateral initiative between Thailand and Myanmar to meet the needs of refugees in Myanmar. As a close neighbor of Myanmar, Thailand is strongly committed to making every effort to help the conflict-affected communities in Myanmar without discrimination," according to a Thai Foreign Ministry statement on Monday, March 25.

It said the Thai Red Cross handed over more than 4,000 aid bags, containing rice, dry food, and other important matters for about 20,000 people to the Myanmar Red Cross at an official event in Mae Sot City, Tak province.

The ministry stated that the pilot project was part of ASEAN's joint efforts to advance the Five-Point Consensus, which includes the end of violence in a country led by the military junta since February 2021, dialogue between all parties, and humanitarian aid by the alliance consisting of 10 countries.

"In building this pilot phase, Thailand will consult closely with related partners on ways to further increase humanitarian aid to support the affected population in Myanmar, especially those living near the Thailand-Myanmar border," the statement said.

In February 2021, Myanmar's military toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power through a military coup.

The country then fell into social, political and economic turmoil when the military carried out a brutal campaign against people who were considered its opponents.

Since October 2023, fighting between the military and armed opposition groups has escalated and spread throughout Myanmar.

More than 2.8 million residents of the war-torn country are displaced, while at least 18 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to UN agencies.